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150 Households
7%
Our initial goal is 150 Households but we can get 2 solar panels if we sign up 300 households. If we meet the inital goal we will reset the goal and keep going...

Goal: 150

Current: 10

Sustainable Arlington - a Vision 2020 Committee

Sustainable Arlington is a town committee dedicated to acting on a local level to achieve climate stabilization and other important environmental goals. This Web site will detail Sustainable Arlington's activities and provide information on how people can be lower their "carbon footprint."

Read about the Arlington Sustainable Action Plan (ASAP) at the Massachusetts Climate Action Network (MCAN). For a summary of the ASAP, click here .

Events :
Sustainable Arlington holds monthly meetings and we invite you to attend.  Please visit our events calendar to find out when the next meeting is and where it will be held.

Arlington team co-captain Laurel Kayne takes the team torch at the Energy Smackdown launch event at the McGlynn Middle School in Medford on May 4. For a report on the kick-off event, see this article from the Arlington Advocate.

 

 

 

Dick Rubinstein and Eric Kurtz, wearing CFL hats that they designed and created. They were handing out free CFLs to Town Day attendees who were willing to take the lightbulb pledge - that is to replace an incandescent bulb with a CFL. 

Read more...
 

Town Meeting passes article adopting the Arlington Sustainability Action Plan (ASAP) in Monday, May 21st session.

75% of the greenhouse gasses consumed in Arlington come from residential uses.  The ASAP is enabling legislation that provides direction to the town to not only persue efforts to reduce emmisions related to the town's own buildings but also to coordinate efforts to help residents reduce their carbon footprint through providing information about things like subsidies that are available.  The article doesn't commit the town to any specific spending but does empower the town to persue all available strategies that can be done within the current budget priorities.  As with the replacement of street lighting there are many things that can be done that will save the town money.  Any items that require new spending still need to be proposed and accepted by Town Meeting.

The Executive Summary

The latest (5-14-07) presentation for Town Meeting

The full version of the ASAP - on the MCAN website in PDF and Word formats

Article 71 extracted from the Town Meeting Warrant

The Presentation from the ASAP Forum

 

Read more...
 
Energy Smackdown Comes to Arlington

Energy Samckdown Comes to Arlington in 2008

The Energy Smackdown began as a competition between 3 households in
Medford. Now in Season 2, the Smackdown expands to Arlington,
Cambridge, and Medford.
Teams of ten households from each town will
compete to see which community can make the biggest energy reduction
over twelve months.

With support from local foundations, businesses, non-profits, and
governments, the adventures of two households from each town will be
documented for broadcast on local access cable television and posted
on Web casts on the Internet.

For more information and to sign up, visit www.energysmackdown.com .
You can also contact 781-396-6208 or for more
information, or to request an application. And spread the news!

 
150 Households 2008

HELP ARLINGTON EARN A 2KW SOLAR/PHOTOVOLTAIC INSTALLATION!

The 150 Households Bonus plan has been renewed for 2008! 

Customers who sign up for the New England Wind Fund purchase
renewable wind energy certificates (RECs), in effect choosing to power their home with clean electricity and to support renewable energy products.

In addition, Arlington is eligible for the 150 Households Bonus Plan. The Town earns a 2kW solar/photovoltaic installation when 150 new households sign up by April 30, 2008.

[The deadline has been extended through the end of May...You can still join!] 

For details and to sign up, click here to visit the New England Wind Fund.

Discuss this article on the forums. (0 posts) 

 

Arlington Smackdown News

Arlington Energy Smackdown

  • A-Team Wins Travel Challenge!

    Congratulations, team! Here are some great photos Patti Muldoon took: Click here to watch the NECN clip.

  • Appliance Energy Comparisons

    Household Energy Hogs Revealed You know the home electronics and appliances in your house eat up the electricity you pay for each month, but you might not have a sense of which ones have the biggest appetites. Watt Are They Using? The first step is to learn how many watts your electronics and appliances consume. You can usually [...]

  • Storm windows

    As you may know, we have a very knowledgeable team guide, Dave Conna, whom I’ve been peppering with questions. Here is our recent exchange about storm windows… ———— May 26, 2008 Hi Dave, We are replacing our storm windows and were going to go with Harvey, based on our research. Do you know a brand that is more energy efficient? My experience [...]

  • Solar hot water

    OK, caveats first. 1. I’m not a scientist or an engineer. Or a plumber or an electrician. 2. I’ve just started learning about solar hot water systems and I’m NO expert. 3. I could go on with caveats all day, but you get the point… My goal with this blog is really to educate myself. I would also *love* [...]

  • Kick-off!

    Here are some pretty funny photos of our kick-off rally on May 5th. We all had a great time! Imagine a group of adults (mostly), singing our team cheer: Rising ocean! Sinking bears! Arlington’s the town that cares! AIM LOW! Go team go!!

 
The Town of Arlington--Showing Leadership

Members of Sustainable Arlington have spearheaded a number of "green"  activities taken by the Town. These include:

Fuel Efficient Vehicle Purchasing

In April 2002, Sustainable Arlington's vehicle purchasing proposal passed Town Meeting requiring the purchases of fuel efficient motor vehicles for the town (‘the most fuel efficient vehicle that meets the municipal function”).

Green Building Bylaw
In 2003, Town Meeting adopted Sustainable Arlington’s proposal establishing the goal of LEED silver certification (an accepted standard for "green buildings") for new and substantial renovations of town-owned buildings.
 
Numerous building energy efficiency improvements
High-efficiency boiler for the new Peirce school
Robbins Library lighting retrofit
Streetlight, traffic signal and walk signal upgrades (50-80% savings)
School lighting retrofits (completed this past year)
Combined, these projects are saving the Town ~$200,000/year and >1,000 tons per year of CO2 emissions.
All projects have been highly cost-effective, in part due to utility rebates
 
Grants for enforcing no idling laws

 
Selectmen support Sustainability Action Plan

By Jennifer Mann/ Staff Writer Arlington Advocate

Thursday, November 9, 2006

The Board of Selectmen last week unanimously endorsed a plan to make Arlington more "green" by reducing its carbon dioxide emissions by 2010.

Read more...
 
Solar and Wind Energy How-Tos

Here are some home videos I found on Youtube showing how to build simple solar and wind power systems.

How-To #1


 

Wind and Solar Energy How To:

How-To #2

 

Wind and Solar Energy How To #2: 

How-To #3

 

My Solar Power System:

 

 

Discuss this article on the forums. (0 posts)

 
Are you environmentally friendly?

Check out the EcoQuiz, created by Vision 2020 Environmental Task Force, Sustainable Arlington.

Strive to be "Carbon Neutral" - that is lower the amount of greenhouse gases you contribute to the planet. Click here find resources on purchasing carbon offsets and renewable energy certificates.

 
Hull Group

 

Arlington citizens & officials visited the Hull Wind Turbine on March 6, 2005, to celebrate its 5 millionth kilowatt-hour of electric generation. The turbine has paid for itself ahead of schedule in 3 years, and now generates income for the Town of Hull. A documentary of this visit is currently showing on Arlington community access cable TV. In early January 2006, Hull received delivery of its second wind turbine, and passed its 6 millionth kilowatt hour mark.

More on the Hull turbine

Discuss this article on the forums. (0 posts) 

 

 
Ten Things You Can Do
  • Replace Incandescent Bulbs with Compact Fluorescent Lamps
  • Install a Programmable Thermostat
  • Use a smart Power Strips to save wasted Electricity
  • Insulate Attics, Walls, Piping, Water-Heaters
  • Install low-flow Shower Heads and Aerators
  • Car Pool, drive a Fuel Efficient Car (at least 30Mpg)
  • Install Instant (tank-less) Hot Water Heaters
  • Tune up your Car and check Tire Pressure
  • Switch to Green Power (solar panels or purchase wind power)
  • Use Public Transportation whenever possible 

These steps have many environmental benefits and can save you money.  You can download a more detailed list: doc Ten Things 19/03/2007,01:21 759.50 Kb

 
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